If you visit youtu.be/pnbfulRwxQg, you’ll see a character straight out of a spaghetti western looking like he’s about to shoot a rock. Which he does—with a near infrared (NIR) measurement tool. After calling out the names of several minerals that the tool has detected, he tells viewers to “git one!”

But not many energy companies are “gitting it” just yet. NIR technology is a simple scanning technique that analyzes clay mineralogy quickly and inexpensively. It’s been used in the mining industry for years but, according to Chris Sherry, senior manager, mining and energy for PANalytical Boulder, it can bring equal value to oil and gas exploration, particularly in shale plays, where mineralogy plays such a key role in finding the sweet spots.

“Every major mining company has an NIR instrument, usually one at every mining operation,” he said. “It’s widely accepted technology.”

According to Sherry, the technology can bring several benefits to petroleum exploration:

  • The ability to differentiate clay minerals such as kaolinite, smectites, illite, chlorite and ammonium clays in seconds;
  • The ability to track subtle mineralogy changes like illite crystallinity, which is an indication of thermal maturity;
  • The ability to differentiate carbonates and track calcium and magnesium ratios quickly; and
  • Portability, ease of use and real-time results.

The tool works by shining a halogen light source directly on dry core or drill cuttings for a few seconds to produce an unknown spectrum. PANalytical’s most recent tool is basically a point-and-click device that provides feedback in 20 seconds. “We have a spectral library of minerals that we compare the unknown spectrum to,” Sherry said. “Combining our spectrometer with the onboard library, we’re able to detect up to seven minerals in a sample. Of course we can only see the rock surface. But when this is used on drill cores or cuttings, it’s a powerful tool.”

Other areas that can benefit from NIR technology include oil sands since the technology can detect bitumen content. Sherry said it also can be used on cuttings coming back from a horizontal well to help operators ensure that they’re staying in zone or for spectral stratigraphy of thick shales.

How does this compare to other wellsite measurements such as X-ray diffusion (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM)? Both of these technologies have their benefits, Sherry said, but NIR has a few advantages. “It’s tougher for an XRD or SEM to see things like illite-to-smectite clay transitions, an important indicator of thermal maturity,” he said. “We usually compare our tool against the XRD, which also provides valuable data. But with our instrument there are no radiation or transport issues. It’s a handheld device, easy to transport and use, and you get real-time mineral results with minimal sample preparation. You could run hundreds of samples per day.”

So far the industry has expressed some interest, particularly in oil sands and horizontal drilling projects. Sherry said that as recently as five years ago the tool was not well understood in the mining industry; now it’s widely accepted.

“In the petroleum industry we’re starting that whole process over again,” he said. “It’s not applicable everywhere, but in shales there is a very good opportunity. It’s a compelling option for determining mineralogy—you can infer the same information more easily and quickly.”